MANILA, Philippines —Department of Health (DOH) Health Secretary Enrique Ona announced
Wednesday that a Filipino male nurse, an OFW who came home from Saudi Arabia has
been confirmed positive for the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus,
or the MERS-CoV.
Ona said the OFW was aboard a Saudi Airlines
flight to the Philippines with his wife, two children, and helper which
recently arrived in Davao City. He had been tested while he was there and the
positive results came out upon his arrival in the country on Tuesday. All of
them were quarantined due to possible exposure to the MERS virus. His
companions, however, were declared negative based on the test results.
The unnamed patient is currently confined at the Southern
Philippines Medical Center in Davao.
The virus has a 10- to 14-day incubation period,
and the results of new tests done by the Department of Health (DOH) are
expected to be available by Friday, Ona said.
Ona added that among the estimated 240 passengers aboard the same
Saudi Airlines flight, 12 passengers seated near the nurse are currently conducting
“contact tracing” to test whether they were exposed to the virus.
"It will certainly depend on the seat arrangement
if he is in the middle we have to trace those in the front or back. At the same
time, we will check other people na nagkaroon ng possible contact," said
Dr. Emmanuel Labella, director of the Bureau of Quarantine.
